The University of Texas at Austin Athletics
University of Texas
Arizona
No. 1 Men’s Swimming and Diving Preview: No. 15 Arizona
01.28.2016 | Men's Swimming and Diving
Top-ranked Longhorns head west to take on No. 15 Arizona.
WHAT: After a three-week break from dual-meet competition No. 1 Texas (8-0), the defending and 11-time overall NCAA champion, heads west this weekend for its annual two-day dual meet against Arizona
DATES/TIMES
Friday, Jan. 29 – 4 p.m. MST (5 p.m. CT)
Saturday, Jan. 30 – 11 a.m. MST (Noon CT)
Friday's competition will be a standard 16-event dual meet while Saturday's competition will be an unscored meet featuring unconventional events.
WHERE
Hillenbrand Aquatic Center – Tucson, Arizona
LAST MEETING
Texas defeated Arizona by a 241-126 count on Jan. 30-31, 2015 in Austin.
LAST TIME OUT
Texas contested its annual meets against Auburn and Georgia and remained unbeaten for the 2015-16 season. The Longhorns knocked off then-No. 8 Auburn by a 156-136 count before handily defeating No. 3 Georgia by a 170-125 margin.
PRE-MEET COMMENTS
Texas head coach Eddie Reese
This meet lets us know where we are (at this point in the season) under a little bit tougher conditions, especially when the meet is out there (at Arizona's outdoor pool). I remember one meet I didn't let the guys get out of the bus while I went out and kicked all the ice off of the starting blocks. We are swimming outdoors and it can be cold. I just tell the guys, "Don't let anyone know you're cold. Just go out and swim and keep going." This meet always brings out the best in everybody, both teams. This is a good time of year to have that kind of meet.
SMITH SETS NCAA, AMERICAN RECORDS AT TEXAS INVITATIONAL
Texas All-America junior Clark Smith smashed the NCAA and American records in the 1000-yard freestyle to cap a productive week of racing for the Longhorns last month at the Texas Invitational.
Smith, who set the records during the opening 1,000 yards of the 1,650 freestyle, clocked 8 minutes, 33.93 seconds to break the American record of 8:36.49 set by former U.S. Olympian Erik Vendt on Jan. 18, 2008. Smith took down the NCAA record of 8:43.48 set by former Longhorn Michael McBroom on Feb. 1, 2013 in Austin.
The son of a pair of former NCAA champion Longhorns swimmers, Smith nearly took down the NCAA and American records two nights earlier in the 500-yard freestyle. However, his top national mark of 4:08.82 did eclipse the school and Big 12 record of 4:09.32 set by Michael Klueh at the 2009 NCAA Championships. Smith also notched the nation's No. 3 time in the 200 freestyle with his mark of 1:33.36 from the Texas Invitational.
Smith became UT's first NCAA champion in the 500 freestyle last March. He held off defending champion Cristian Quintero of USC and won in 4:09.72.
SCHOOLING POSTS PAIR OF TOP NATIONAL MARKS AT TEXAS INVITE
Joseph Schooling swept the 100 and 200 butterfly events as a freshman at the 2015 NCAA Championships, and the Olympian from Singapore hasn't missed a beat in the butterfly events as a sophomore.
Schooling posted the top times in the country in both events last month at the Texas Invitational. He clocked 44.98 in the prelims of the 100 butterfly and won the 200 butterfly the following night in 1:40.48.
Last March, Schooling became the first Texas swimmer to win NCAA titles in both the 100 and 200 butterfly events. In doing so, he became the first Texas freshman swimmer to win two NCAA individual swimming titles since Brendan Hansen in 2001. Schooling was the first UT freshman swimmer to win an NCAA individual swimming title since Austin Surhoff in 2010.
CONGER, LICON REMAIN AMONG NATION'S ELITE
Juniors Jack Conger and Will Licon accounted for a bundle of points in the Longhorns' NCAA title run last March, and the duo is on pace for another productive season.
The versatile Conger gives Texas a reliable threat in the backstroke, butterfly and freestyle events in the 100- and 200-yard distances. Better known for his proficiency in the backstroke and butterfly events, it was Conger who not only anchored the Longhorns' 400 medley relay to a 2015 NCAA title but also helped Texas to its first NCAA crown in the 200 free relay since 1996.
Conger emerged from the Texas Invitational with the nation's No. 3 marks in the 100 butterfly (45.19) and the 200 butterfly (1:41.40). He also boasts the No. 8 national mark in the 200 freestyle (1:34.20).
Licon, the 2015 Big 12 Swimmer of the Year, cemented himself as one of the premier swimmers in the storied history of the Texas program last season with his three individual school records and two NCAA individual titles.
Last March, the 2015 Big 12 Swimmer of the Year defeated American record holder Chase Kalisz of Georgia and became UT's first NCAA champion in the 400-yard individual medley. The following night at the NCAA Championships, Licon dethroned two-time defending NCAA champion and American record holder Kevin Cordes of Arizona and won the national title in the 200-yard breaststroke.
This season, Licon ranks second nationally in the 200 breaststroke (1:52.82). He also holds the nation's No. 12 marks in the 200 individual medley (1:44.85) and the 400 individual medley (3:45.17).
SPRINT FREESTYLE GROUP IMPRESSES AT TEXAS INVITE
Headed by senior John Murray and sophomore Brett Ringgold, Texas logged six top-12 national swims in the 50 and 100 freestyle events last month at the Texas Invitational.
Murray, who helped the Horns win the 200 freestyle relay at the 2015 NCAA Championships, ranks No. 3 nationally in the 50 freestyle (19.26) and No. 4 in the 100 freestyle (42.42). Ringgold produced breakthrough swims at the Texas Invite and notched the nation's No. 3 mark in the 100 freestyle (452.04) and the No. 7 mark in the 50 freestyle (19.38).
Senior Matt Ellis, who joined Murray on the NCAA champion 200 freestyle relay last March, ranks seventh nationally in the 100 freestyle (42.82) and 12th in the 50 freestyle (19.58).
FRESHMEN CONTRIBUTING EARLY
Texas' balanced rosters features a talented group of freshmen who rank among the nation's elite in their respective events midway through the season.
Townley Haas and Ryan Harty are the nation's only freshmen ranked among the top-two nationally in an individual event, and they are the only freshmen with multiple top-five national marks. In fact, Haas boasts three national top-four marks.
The U.S. national teamer showed off exceptional freestyle range at the Texas Invitational with his No. 2 national marks in the 500 freestyle (4:14.07) and 1,650 freestyle (14:41.09) in addition to his No. 4 national time in the 200 freestyle (1:33.38). Haas also posted the nation's No. 10 mark in the 1,000 freestyle at 9:04.17.
Harty adds depth to an already exceptional Texas individual medley group with his No. 2 national time at the 200-yard distance (1:43.26) and his No. 10 mark at 400 yards (3:44.93). Harty, whose sister Kaitlin will swim for Texas next season, also ranks fifth nationally in the 200 backstroke (1:40.39).
GOING THE DISTANCE
Texas counts depth in its distance ranks as yet another strength midway through the 2015-16 season. All-Americans Sam Lewis and Jonathan Roberts hold top-20 national marks that complement the aforementioned swims from Haas and Smith. Lewis ranks 17th in the 1,000 freestyle (9:09.65) and the 1,650 freestyle (15:02.32) while Roberts ranks 13th nationally (9:07.40) in the 1,000.
Roberts joins Smith and Haas among the top-25 in the 500 freestyle (22nd at 4:18.53), and his heavy workload has also made him a formidable threat in the 400 IM. Roberts is the Longhorns' top-ranked 400 IM swimmer thus far with his No. 7 national mark of 3:44.24. Fellow distance man John Martens joins him among the nation's elite in the 400 IM at No. 11 nationally (3:45.13).
ANDERSON TAKES TWO AT UT DIVING INVITE
All-America junior diver Mark Anderson won the three-meter and platform events in November at the UT Diving Invite
Anderson claimed the three-meter crown at the UT Diving Invite with 458.15 points and edged All-America teammate Cory Bowersox by about nine points. Anderson claimed the platform title the next day with 451.95 points. Anderson went on to place sixth on platform last month at the USA Diving Winter National Championships.
LONGHORNS FINISH 2015 UNBLEMISHED
Texas took on a rigorous fall schedule but delivered balanced performances across the board and produced a perfect 6-0 fall dual-meet record.
The Longhorns opened the 2015-16 dual-meet season on Oct. 16 with long-course victories over Indiana and Florida. The three teams went head-to-head the next day in a traditional short-course pool, and the Longhorns knocked off both teams once again.
After nearly a month-long layoff, the top-ranked Longhorns hit the road and took on No. 12 North Carolina and No. 5 N.C. State. Texas won 13 of the 16 events contested at North Carolina and cruised to a 160-132 victory (Nov. 13).
The Longhorns made the short trip to Raleigh for a showdown with against No. 5 North Carolina State. The Wolfpack put up a considerable fight, but the Longhorns' depth proved to be too much, as Texas emerged with a 154-136 victory.
Texas remains perfect at 8-0 on the heels of its dual wins over Auburn and Georgia.
MORE ON THE LONGHORNS
- Texas returns 22 swimmers and divers, including 14 All-Americans, from the 2014-15 squad that captured the Longhorns' 11th NCAA team title.
- Head coach Eddie Reese is in his 38th season with the Longhorns. Texas boasts more NCAA team titles (11) and NCAA top-two finishes (22) than any other men's swimming and diving program since Reese's arrival at UT prior to the 1978-79 season. Reese has secured top-three finishes at 29 of 37 NCAA Championship meets with the Longhorns.
- Last March, Reese tied former Ohio State coach Mike Peppe for No. 1 all-time in NCAA men's swimming and diving titles (11). Reese is the only coach in the sport's history to win NCAA team titles in four separate decades (1981, '88, '89, 1990, '91, '96, 2000, '01, '02, 2010, '15). Associate head coach Kris Kubik has been by Reese's side for every NCAA team title.
- Texas won five individual events at the 2015 NCAA Championships and returns all three swimmers responsible for the five titles.
- Junior Clark Smith became UT's first NCAA champion in the 500-yard freestyle. Smith, the son of former Texas swimmers John Smith and Tori Trees, knocked off defending champion Cristian Quintero of USC and won the event in 4 minutes, 9.72 seconds
- Junior Will Licon, the 2015 Big 12 Swimmer of the Year, returns as the defending NCAA champion in the 400 individual medley and the 200 breaststroke. The El Paso native became the first Longhorn to claim a national title in the 400 IM last March. Notably, Licon was Texas' sport-wide nominee for 2015 Big 12 Men's Athlete of the Year.
- Joseph Schooling won NCAA titles in the 100 and 200 butterfly. He became the first Texas freshman to win two NCAA individual swimming titles at the same meet since Brendan Hansen in 2001. The Singaporean also became the first Texas swimmer to win both the 100 and 200 fly in his Longhorns career. Schooling broke Ian Crocker's 14-year-old school and Big 12 records in the 100 butterfly (44.51). He went on to win 9 gold medals for Singapore at the Southeast Asian Games in June and won bronze in the 100m butterfly at the FINA World Championships.
- Texas returns five of the six swimmers who accounted for its two NCAA relay titles last season. All-America junior Jack Conger swam on the victorious 200 freestyle relay and 400 medley relay. Seniors Matt Ellis and John Murray joined Conger on the 200 free relay, while Licon and Schooling joined Conger on the 400 medley relay. Former Longhorn Kip Darmody competed on both NCAA champion relays last season as a senior.
- No fewer than four Longhorns are featured on the 2015-16 USA Swimming National Team. Jack Conger earned a berth on the team in four events (100m free, 100m back, 100m fly, 200m fly), while Will Licon posted top-six national titles in the 200m breast and 200m IM to earn his place on the team. Clark Smith and freshman Townley Haas made the team in the 400m freestyle.
- As is the norm, Texas features a formidable group of divers. Senior Cory Bowersox earned All-America honors on one-meter in his first three seasons as a Longhorn, and he has twice been honored as an Academic All-American. Junior Mark Anderson, the 2015 Big 12 Diver of the Year, was the only Big 12 diver to score on all three boards at the 2015 NCAA Championships, where he earned his second consecutive All-America finish on platform. Diving coach Matt Scoggin also returns junior Sean O'Brien from a redshirt season.
- Texas welcomes the nation's No. 1 recruiting class, per SwimSwam.com. The aforementioned Haas ranks No. 2 nationally among incoming freshmen while Ryan Harty ranks ninth.
Players Mentioned
